One of the most widely used ingredients, milk is often referred to as a complete food. While cow…

demerara sugar, or roughly crushed sugar cubes, for sprinkling

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Tip the flour, baking powder and 1 tsp spice into a bowl. Add the butter, cut into small pieces. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture forms fine crumbs (or do this in the food processor).

Stir in the muscovado sugar and fruit, then add the egg and milk. Mix to a fairly firm dough. Spoon 10 rough blobs of the mixture onto the baking sheet, leaving room for a little spreading. Mix together the sugar and remaining mixed spice and sprinkle over the cakes. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden brown.

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Comments, questions and tips

Comments (19)

mandnlee4th Nov, 2016

3.75

These were fab. I used a double amount of fruit/nut mix chopped up, a few shards cut of cristalized ginger and the zest of half a lemon, but will use a whole one next time. My hubby said they were the best he'd tasted. High praise indeed. Thankyou gf.

A new favorite recipe! These rock cakes, rock! I have tried all kinds of variations and they always turn out very well! My oven runs a little hot so i haven't worked out the timings yet (12-14mins but can vary depending on size) so i tend to get a mixture of softer ones and ones that feel rock solid, but crumble when you bite them. But most of them get lovely and hard on the outside as the cool anyway.

Lemon sugar (or lemon juice with sugar) sprinkled/drizzled on top makes for a very tasty finish but they don't look quite a much like rocks.

Yummy! Felt nostalgic so I gave this recipe a try. Hadn't had rock cakes for years. Really easy to make and tasted fab. Did tweak the recipe though.... I used 100g wholemeal SR flour and 100g standard SR Flour, just to make them slightly more healthy. Also used 100g of raisins and extra 50g of cherries. I used caster sugar instead of muscovado as I didn't have any. And added a tspn of cinnamon. Baked as per recipe, and came out fabulous! Will make again soon with various fruit options. Give them a try, so easy!

Mine spread a bit more than expected. I called them soft cookies and my family (who have never heard of rock cakes) were quite impressed. Mine were very similar in texture to the Pepperidge farm soft cookies, I found.

I remember trying to make rock cakes as a child and they were like solid dry scones with currants and demerera. I'm not sure what passes for a rock cake in a british bakery these days but ..... I think my 'soft cookies' were a win!

So quick and versitile, a perfect way to use left over random store cupboard items. I used dried cranberries and flaked almonds with dessicated coconut sprinkled on the top. This is a brilliant cheap last minute thing to bake before friends visit.

Just made these. Not sure what they were supposed to be like, certainly not like the rock cakes I had as a child from my local bakery. Quite crumbly and did not need 2 tablespoons of milk or 20 minutes in the oven (or I fear they might have burnt!). Apart from that they were certainly very tasty, but not sure if I would make them again. Will be looking for another rock cake recipe.

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